Calling on Media to #Askhermore at AFL Brownlow Medal 2018

Posted by Coralie Alison23274sc on September 24, 2018

The annual Brownlow Medal award ceremony will be held tonight to celebrate the sporting accomplishments of AFL players.

The Brownlow red carpet highlights a larger trend in the media, where women can be regarded as purely decorative. Wives and Girlfriends of players (identified collectively as WAGS) are observed and celebrated primarily for their physical attractiveness.

In the majority of red carpet interviews, reporters focus on women’s choice of attire, with gossip columns praising women who live up to specific standards of fashion and criticizing those who they deem to fall short.

At the 2011 Brownlows, women were rotated on an elevated platform dubbed the “fashion pod”, likened to a rotisserie displaying women like yum cha.

In 2012 Triple M hosted an online comp "Who's got the hottest WAGs? AFL or NRL? WAG Of Origin!" Visitors to the site can vote "rock" or "shock." SEO tags used by Triple M to draw people to the site include 'boobs' and 'breasts.'

This constant focus on beauty perpetuates the notion that women are to be valued for their physical appearance rather than their accomplishments or contributions to the world.

This is why we are inviting you to join us in tweeting to reporters and media challenging them to ask these women questions about their achievements, who they are and what they care about. And why not ask them about football?

It is our hope that together we can challenge persistent limiting stereotypes about women and work towards a culture that values women as whole persons, valued for their character and achievements and not just their outward appearance.

You can defend their right to childhood

Everyday our young people are exposed to more brands continuing to sexualise girls and objectify women. You can bring change to this sexploitation, stop companies from degrading women and prevent its devastating effects on young people.